The Characteristics Of The Italian Architecture

Two buildings, the Hagia Sophia and the Great Mosque of Cordoba, can show us two separate peoples and their approach to constructing architecture that was devoted to their religions. However, while religion played a huge role, there are similarities as well between the two that show that the rulers who commissioned these buildings were interested in mimicking beauty and showing the world that their building was the most beautiful and perhaps the most elite of its time as well as proving their divinity as a ruler of a great nation.

Pantheon located in Rome, Italy is the most well conserved architectural structure of the Roman period. Pantheon, initially a roman sanctuary worked to committed to every one of the divine beings, however in 609AD., it was transformed into a congregation and stays as it. Initially worked by Agrippa around 27BC under Augustus' lead however it was caught fire during 80D, under Emperor Domitian's care then build it again, yet was struck by lightning and burned down again in 110AD. The present Pantheon was worked in 120AD and finished by Emperor Hadrian alongside Apollodorus of Damascus. (Hannah and Magli 2011)

The first and second pantheons were burnt down and the current one has lasted till current day. The whole building stands at a high of 7 m not including the 1.3-meter high base. The base is made out of steps made out of Numidia yellow marble, which shows Rome’s wealth that they could to import such an expensive resource and put it one, the floor. The Pantheon is made up of 2 rooms, the porch and the rotunda that is the main body of the structure. The porch follows a very classical geek style where as the rotunda is more reminiscent of the roman public bathhouses. The rotunda is made of brick and the roman concrete that was then faced with white marble stucco to match the porch in appearance. The dome roof covering the rotunda is also made of roman concrete and then covered with bronze sheets that were removed in 663 CE by Constans 2nd. The Bronze roofing showed the importance of this building since all other buildings in Rome had roofs made of tiles. The measures 33 by 13.6 m and presents the building with a colonnade of 8 Corinthian columns that tower 11.8 m high. The column shafts are made of grey granite and with the pediments and capitals made of white marble. This really shows how Rome cannot only get such rich resources but can also the reach Rome has to get all the different types of stone for this construction. The porch has a faced of Pentalic marble and is decorated with religious

The exterior of the Pantheon is beautiful, but its inside is what makes it truly stunning. The perfectly circular interior chamber approximately 143 feet in diameter topped by a dome that is the same 143 feet high. It is a giant room that conceivably holds a perfect sphere or globe 143 feet across. Some believe the sphere was meant to symbolize the vault of heaven. At the apex of the dome is an oculus; its main purpose was to let light stream into the building and to prevents the dome from collapsing. Several smaller shrines are along the inner walls. There used to be devoted to the seven gods linked to the planets of the Sun, the Moon, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury, and Mars. The huge marble walls might be the most remarkable feature in Pantheon.

The manipulation of materials used by the Romans has still not been equaled to this day. This reality is surprising when considering the span of time which has passed since the completion of the Pantheon. A period of almost two thousand years has come and gone without any other dome structure equivalently matching the enormity and importance of the Pantheon. Hadrian’s commencement of the Pantheon has created one of the more “influential works in Western architectural history (Fazio, Moffett, and Lawrence). Keeping in mind the pantheon was created as a temple to commemorate all the pagan gods of ancient Rome (Alcott). At the time it was a very large undertaking and Hadrian felt that using architecture was a sufficient course of action to demonstrate his imperial prowess. The Roman Empire was outstretched over a vast expanse of land and could not sustain itself, however Hadrian used his knowledge of the lay to procure some elements for his reconstruction of the Pantheon. Literally meaning “many gods” the pantheon also served as a sundial with an oculus opening at the apex of the dome. Hadrian’s belief in pagan deities coerced him to create a grand structure suitable to express the divine influence of the gods over the Roman Empire. In fact, Hadrian’s reign produced many architectural exploits that had never been seen or even attempted before his

The Dome of the Rock and the Pantheon are constructed similarly. The Dome of the Rock was even influenced by the Pantheon, built on a domed-central plan structure. While the two buildings look different in appearance, they have similar forms. They both contain geometric structures. In the front, the Pantheon has a porch, with a triangular top. Behind this porch is a cylinder base with a hemispherical dome

The Italian and Northern Europe Renaissances were both an important mark in history by changing the ideals of life, thought, culture, and art of the people’s of this time. In this paper I will explain the motive for change in these cultures, including the similarities and differences of the two cultures.

Although the origins of the Italian Renaissance can be traced to many different locations, it is important to note that different aspects of Italian culture and society remained largely medieval during the time of the Renaissance; the Renaissance did not come into full swing until the end of the century. The word Renaissance means “rebirth”, and the era is best known for the renewed interest in the culture of classical antiquity (Greece and Rome) after the period that Renaissance humanists labeled the Dark Ages. These changes, while significant, were concentrated in the elite, and for the vast majority of the population life was little changed from the Middle Ages.

The Pantheon deduces its name from Greek word meaning “All the gods of a religion”. The Pantheon was originally constructed as a famous temple in Rome which was devoted to all the gods of Ancient Rome. It is the best preserved building from Ancient Rome and was completed by 125 CE. Its magnificent dome is a living testimony to the genius of the Roman architects and as the building still remain undamaged, it offers a unique chance for the modern boulevardier to step back 2000 years and experience the glory that was Rome.

Pantheon and Hagia Sophia Pantheon and Hagia Sophia are two extremely outstanding architectural pieces of their times. They have been built according to the traditions of those particular times. The materials used to built these buildings and the purpose for which they were used are all very important aspects and have been briefly covered in this report. Pantheon The statesman Agrippa built pantheon in 27 B.C. Then it was completely rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian. The Pantheon is remarkable for its size, its construction, and its design. The dome was the largest built until modern times. The present structure was probably originally built as a temple for all the pagan gods. We do hear of it as being a law-court and a reception area for

Agrippa, Augustus’ right-hand man, constructed this building as a temple to all the gods; however, a fire destroyed this temple in 80 CE and so Domitian built the reconstruction. The Pantheon we are familiar with has a significantly different design than the original one, and this is why this specific temple is so dislike to the rest of the Roman temples. Before it was burnt, the Pantheon stood in a podium at the end of a large rectangular court. The surroundings of this temple have changed in order to provide a unique experience to its visitors. For example, the temple has en enormous dome with a 27-foot oculus that opens to the sky. This oculus lets a shaft of light come through creating an emphasis wherever the reflection is. Visitors were driven nowhere but to the light at the center of the dome. This building was built for greeting foreign embassies, adjudicating disputes and hold court (Janson). Moreover, the Pantheon is extraordinary because of the potential and strength of concrete. Some other materials used in the process of building the temple include travertine, tufa, brick, and pumice. These materials varied in order to reduce its weight. The colored marble on the wall symbolized imperial authority. The sphere is though to symbolize eternity and perfection and the bronze panels symbolized a starry night sky.

Historical buildings play an important role in describing the social and cultural beliefs and values of a place of its establishment. People visiting the historic buildings are able to develop a proper insight into the community beliefs and practices that exist at the time of construction of a building (DuTemple, 2003). In this context, the present essay examines and evaluates the way in which the architectural building of ‘The Colosseum’ describes the societal and cultural values of Rome. In addition to this, the essay also demonstrates the technical and spatial features of the buildings and illustrates the way through the building is able to develop a language of classical architecture in Rome. The thesis statement of the present essay can be stated as ‘The extent to which the architectural building of ‘The Colosseum’ in Rome depicts the cultural and societal values and principles practiced in Ancient Roman Society’.

Il Pantheon (Pantheon) “pan” means all, “theon” means God. It is a preserved intact Roman Empire building, located in the centre of Rome, Italy. It was built in 27-25 BC by Marcus Agrippa, and Emperor Hadrian rebuilt it in 125 AD.

The Pantheon is a former Roman temple, completed in 126 AD. Currently a state property, it is now a Roman Catholic Church. As one of Rome’s most well preserved ancient buildings, it has had continuous use through the ages. This is likely due to the fact that it was converted from a temple to a church early on, saving it from sacking and destruction. At its’ inception, it is believed to have been a temple to numerous Roman deities. (“Pantheon, n.d.) The name pantheon refers to a temple dedicated to all the gods. (Merriam Webster, n.d.) The building is made up of a portico, or porch, and a rectangular vestibule that connects the porch to a rotunda. The rotunda features an oculus that provides light as well as ventilation. During rain and storms, any water entering the uncovered oculus runs off into built-in drains still functioning from their original construction. The dome’s inner design is comprised of intersecting arches and coffers. Likely symbolic, these were built in multiples of eight,

As the saying goes “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” however long it took to build the capital, the days, months, years, centuries of work can be viewed as a long lasting landmark which paved the way for new and challenging architecture to come (How Roman architecture influenced modern architecture [sa]). According to Tony Rook (2013: [sp] ch.2) the typical Roman temple shows the Etruscan tradition combined with the Greek one. Although some of their premature concepts were acquired from the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, Roman architects transformed the body of architecture for all time to come, offering buildings and structures that has never been before, along the side of public buildings and infrastructure that could be used by